West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith continues to lead the USA TODAY Sports Media Group Heisman survey.
But a challenger is emerging from a school that can't win its conference or the BCS championship this year, which could lead to questions about what voters might think about how the winner of the award should be chosen.
The survey tracks 35 official Heisman voters affiliated with USA TODAY Sports or other Gannett newspapers throughout the country.
Rank Player 2012 statistics
1st 2nd 3rd Total
1 Geno Smith, West Virginia 1,996 passing yards, 24 TDs 35 105
2 Braxton Miller, Ohio State 1,060 passing yards, 9 TDs; 763 rushing yards, 8 TDs 18 7 43
3 Collin Klein, Kansas State 887 passing yards, 7 TDs; 405 rushing yards, 7 TDs 11 7 29
4 Manti Te'o, Notre Dame 38 tackles, 3 interceptions 2 12 16
5 De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon 377 rushing yards, 6 TDs 2 2 6